I was unable to find the date that this building was erected. My guess would be in the 1860s. Every village had a communal wash house. This was a place in which laundry was done. There were several unique characteristics about these buildings.
One thing that made these buildings unique was the way in which the water was heated. A brick hearth was built around a large iron cauldron. Beneath the cauldron, a small door allowed for a fire to be built below it. This was kindled and kept up until the water was hot. Once hot, many loads could be done before changing water. I find it interesting that laundry was done communally. Usually there was a wood shed attached to the wash house.
The brick building to the south of the wash house was a wohnhaus. This residence was used by various families until the change. It is currently a private home.
My oma related several stories to me about the wash house. One that really stands out in my mind is about the gypsies that passed through town from time to time. The people in South Amana had great suspicions about these vagrant people. My oma remembers being frightened of them. She tells of a time that the communal laundry was being done and the clothes hung up to dry. A small band of gypsies was spotted headed toward town. A stereotype about these people was that they were thieves. This caused a great panic at the wash house. There was a rush to retrieve all the clothing that was hanging up so that it was not stolen by the gypsies!
Also called wash houses were buildings attached to the wood sheds of private residences. These were not used communally, but privately. People would take baths in these wash houses prior to the invention of indoor plumbing. They would also often use this area for canning.
The South Amana wash house is no longer standing. The residence to the south is now a private residence.